breathing
Americannoun
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the act of a person or other animal that breathes; respiration.
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a single breath.
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the short time required for a single breath.
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a pause, as for breath.
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utterance or words.
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a gentle moving or blowing, as of wind.
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Classical Greek Grammar.
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the manner of articulating the beginning of a word written with an initial vowel sign, with or without aspiration before the vowel.
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one of the two symbols used to indicate this.
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noun
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the passage of air into and out of the lungs to supply the body with oxygen
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a single breath
a breathing between words
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an utterance
a breathing of hate
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a soft movement, esp of air
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a rest or pause
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phonetics
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expulsion of breath ( rough breathing ) or absence of such expulsion ( smooth breathing ) preceding the pronunciation of an initial vowel or rho in ancient Greek
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either of two symbols indicating this
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of breathing
First recorded in 1350–1400, breathing is from the Middle English word brethynge. See breathe, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"He's 39 years of age and is breathing quite hard at the end of this match," former British number one Greg Rusedski said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Rollins embraced yoga, finding that the breathing techniques and especially the concentration gave him a new fluency with his instrument.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
And did he deliver with a drive that rolled to the right-field fence off pitcher Hudson December and finally gave the Patriots breathing room.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Love said Ms Parton was breathing and didn't look that badly injured and that she called out her name.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Instead it was the sound of breathing close behind us, and then, miraculously, Marlene’s trunk winding itself around us, enfolding us.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
